Changing the Future: Vampire Academy
by TwilightTeen1995
Summary: What would happen if the characters of Vampire Academy knew what the future would hold? Could they prevent death and heartbreak? The day after Rose gets wasted by the pool with Adrian, Lissa, Christian and everyone else she is transported to a room that is locked from the outside. Join the characters of the Vampire Academy as they read what their future is. Read and Review!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or words in both; those belong to Richelle Mead. **

The banging in the door would not stop and it was beginning to piss me off a little. All I wanted to do was sleep. It didn't help that my head was pounding and the light made my eyes water.

"Whoever is knocking on my door is about to get a black eye." I thought as I yank the door open.

"What do you want?" I growled at the person who rudely woke me up. Before I could really get a good look at the person I felt a sharp hit to my temple and everything went dark.

"Rose. Rose. ROSE!"

I awoke with a start sitting up so fast that I got dizzy and had to lie back down on the couch I was currently on. Lissa was crouched above me looking at me with her big eyes and I could feel her worry.

"What happened?" I asked as I sat back up and looked around the room I was in. It was huge living room with multiple couches and chairs spread around. There was a kitchen attached to it with a stainless steel fridge and a long table. Off to the side there were at least five doors that were shut so I wasn't quite sure what was in there and there was a stair case that looked like it led to more doors.

"I'm not sure exactly, I was walking around the lodge when someone hit me in the back of the head and I woke up here. The same thing apparently happened to everyone else," explained Lissa. She was radiating waves of fear and I could see the images of when she was kidnapped by Victor Dashkov.

I finally noticed that we were not alone in the room and her comment about everyone else made sense. There were at least ten people sitting around the room.

"Why were you yelling at me Lissa?" I asked not wanting to acknowledge anyone yet. I was still made at many of them and I needed to protect Lissa first and foremost.

"Well, you were the only one not awake yet and there is a package addressed to you. None of the doors will open and we can't find a way out so we thought the letter would explain everything." Lissa replied

"Why didn't you just open the letter?"

"It's addressed to you." Lissa repeated slowly as she handed me the box

I rolled my eyes. We're stuck in a room and no one has any idea what is going on but they refuse to open a box that's not addressed to them that probably holds all the answers.

I ripped the tape off of the top of the books and then stared confused. The box was filled with six books. Who the hell would send me books? I don't even like the read. I can feel my temper flaring; I just want to be somewhere else. I can feel the tension between certain people and I. There was a letter on top so I picked it up and began to read it out loud….

_Hello everybody!_

_First of all I would like to say I'm sorry for having to knock everyone out. I couldn't think of another way to get everyone in the same place. You don't know who I am and that's not the point. I have brought you all here to change what is to come. These six books contain the past and the future… _

"Ok, we are dealing with a crazy person. How in the hell do these books contain the future? It hasn't happened yet" interrupted a certain red haired friend of mine.

"I don't know Mason. Maybe if you'd let me finish the letter." I snapped. My head was still pounding from my drinking last night and I just wanted to sleep.

"Sorry." Replied Mason

I went back to reading the letter.

…_contain the past and the future. I know some of you are probably skeptical when I say this but I promise you it is the truth. The events that transpired before you were brought to this room are leading up to some dark and sad moments in everyone's lives and I have decided to give everyone a chance to change the future. By reading these books I hope that things can be prevented. Here is the opportunity to prevent not only death but also heartache. The books begin when Rose and Lissa are brought back to the academy and are all in Rose's point of view. This room is designed to keep you here until all of the books are finished. There are bedrooms with fully stocked closets, bathrooms and a fully stocked kitchen. Feeders will be coming around everyday for the Moroi. I have listed below the order in which to read the books _

_ 1. Vampire Academy_

_ 2. Frostbite_

_ 3. Shadow Kiss_

_4. Blood Promise_

_5. Spirit Bound_

_6. Last Sacrifice_

_Every one has to take turns reading the books so I have also made a list on who is supposed to be here and the reading order._

_Rose Hathaway_

_Lissa Dragomir_

_Dimitri Belikov_

_Christian Ozera_

_Adrian Ivashkov_

_Mason Ashford_

_Janine Hathaway_

_Abe Mazur_

_Alberta Petrov_

_Please try to remember that this has already happened or hasn't happened yet. Everyone will be here for some time, so don't piss each other off. Change the future guys._

_Sincerely,_

_ MH_

_P.S. Don't worry about what is going on in the outside world. Everything will be calm until you finish reading the book. Then you have decisions to make._

I put down the letter and glance around the room. Everyone looks thoughtful and I wonder who the man named Abe is. Obviously he is a Moroi but I have never met him. My mother is giving him strange looks though. I am really not sure how much I am going to enjoy these books; I don't want everyone to know my thoughts; especially my thoughts about Dimitri. I just know that the lust spell is going to be mentioned in the first book.

"We might as well get started." Said Alberta after a few moments of silence. "We obviously aren't going anywhere until we are done."

I sigh and nod my head. I pick up the book labeled _Vampire Academy_ and I am only semi-shocked to see a picture of myself on the cover. It's really true then. These books are about my life. I decide to skip reading the back of the cover because it's quite pointless.

"Alright, here goes nothing." I take a deep breath and begin. **"Chapter One"**


	2. Chapter 1

**Yay! I am so glad that I had views on this story! I even have a review! I was a little worried that no one would read it. Anyway, my name is Meredith and it's nice to meet all of you…well it's nice to virtually introduce myself anyway. I just wanted to let y'all know a little about this story and my writing style. As you just saw I used the word y'all (you all). I was born and raised in Texas and I use that word about every five minutes and I know these characters aren't from Texas so I will really try not to let my southern show. **

**I am writing this story because I am a little disappointed with the stories likes this one on this site for Vampire Academy. For one, most of them aren't complete and two most of them lack a plot. Yes, I know the book they are reading has a plot but a lot of the stories I am reading are just an exact copy of the book with one or two original sentences in between. My versions of Richelle Mead's characters are reading a book about their future and I can guarantee you that if I was reading about my future I'd make quite a few remarks. There will be some romance I here between Rose/Dimitri because I love them together and their stubbornness ticks me off. My characters probably won't be exactly like the one's from the book because like I said they are reading about their future and just I feel like by reading this their personality's will shift a little. I'm not going to go completely OOC but there might be minute changes. If I get to far away from character please let me know. **

**Lastly, I will try to update every week/two weeks and I may actually end up updating more than that. I am going to try to get as many chapters done in the next two days as I can because I have finals next week that I need to study for. After that though I get an entire month off so I will have time to work on this story. **

**Also beware that there is some foul language in her. I tried to keep it about the same amount as the book so it's just kind of sprinkled in there.**

**Sorry for the long author's note**

**Meredith **

***Disclaimer* I do not own the characters or the words in bold. I am just playing around with Richelle Mead's characters.**

**P.S. Also I'm not sure which characters know of Lissa and Rose's bond so I am going to write like Mason, Janine and Abe have no idea they are bonded. Adrian, Janine and Abe also don't know that Rose gave Lissa blood when they were away from the Academy.**

**P.P.S Thoughts are in **_**Italics**_

"**Chapter One"**

**I felt her fear before I heard her screams.**

I looked up to see my mom, Mason and the Moroi named Abe all raise an eyebrow at me from the couches across the room. _Damn why couldn't I do that. _My mom opened her mouth in order to ask what I was talking about no doubt but I just shook my head. It would all be explained.

I also noticed that Dimitri was looking at Abe as if he knew him, but before I could ask Dimitri about it, the look was gone.

**Her nightmare pulsed into me, shaking me out of my own dream, which had had something to do with a beach and some hot gut rubbing suntan oil on me.**

I heard a snicker coming from my left and when I looked over I saw Adrian with a dumbass smirk on his face. He wiggled his eyebrows at me and I glared at him. His smirk seemed to falter to for minute but nevertheless it stayed on his face. I sighed and decided to ignore him.

**Images – hers, not mine- tumbled through my mind: fire and blood, the smell of smoke, the twisted metal of a car. **

I felt Liss shudder and saw from the corner of my right eye Christian wrapping an arm around her.

**The pictures wrapped around me, suffocating me, until some rational part of my brain reminded me that this wasn't **_**my **_**dream.**

**I woke up, strands of long, dark hair sticking to my forehead.**

**Lissa lay in her bed, thrashing and screaming. I bolted out of mine, quickly crossing the few feet that separated us. **

"**Liss," I said, shaking her. "Liss, wake up."**

**Her screams dropped off, replaced by soft whimpers. **

"**Andre," she moaned. "Oh God."**

I reached over and squeezed Lissa's hand. I knew that it was still hard for her, hell it was still hard for me.

**I helped her sit up. "Liss, you aren't there anymore. Wake up."**

**After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open, and in the dim lighting, I could see a flicker of consciousness start to take over. Her frantic breathing slowed, and she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. I put an arm around her and ran a hand over her hair. **

"**It's okay," I told her gently. "Everything's okay."**

"**I had that dream."**

"**Yeah. I know."**

**We sat like that for several minutes, not saying anything else. When I felt her emotions calm down, **

"That's the second time you said that you've felt her emotions. What does that mean?" my mom interrupted obviously not patient enough to wait.

"Maybe they have a bond." Stated Abe while eyeing Lissa and I.

My mom scoffed, "Of course they don't have a bond, only the best guardians have a bond and that hasn't happened in ages."

I saw Mason glare at my mom and for a moment I saw and felt Dimitri tense from my left like he wanted to say something before that emotion went away, tucked behind his guardian mask.

It stung a little that my own mother would scoff at the thought of me being a good guardian. She had no right to judge me. I was about to go off on her when I remembered that we wouldn't be leaving this room until we were completely finished with the books. I didn't want to start a fight before we were finished with the first chapter.

_I'll wait until the second. _I thought as I began to read again.

**I leaned over to the nightstand in between our beds and turned on** **the lamp. It glowed dimly, but neither of us really needed much to see by. Attracted by the light, our housemate's cat,** **Oscar, leapt up onto the sill of the open window.**

**He gave me a wide berth–animals don't like dhampirs, for whatever reason–but jumped onto the bed and rubbed his head against Lissa, purring softly.** **Animals didn't have a problem with Moroi, and they all loved Lissa in particular.** **Smiling, she scratched his chin, and I felt her calm further.**

I decided to ignore the feeling of Abe's eyes looking back and forth between Lissa and I

"**When did we last do a feeding?" **

"WHAT?" yelled my mother jumping to her feet. "YOU LET HER DRINK YOUR BLOOD? I THOUGHT YOU WERE RAISED TO KNOW THAT WAS WRONG."

I felt a white-hot anger rush into my body and I stood up and dropped the book. I stalked over to my mother and it vaguely registered in my mind that Abe was grabbing my mom's arms and Dimitri's hands were wrapped around my arms, holding me back.

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW HOW I WAS RAISED? YOU WEREN'T THERE! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSE TO DO? LET HER STARVE!" I screamed back right into my mother's face.

"I WAS WORKING AND HOW ABOUT NOT RUNNING AWAY! THE ACADEMY HAS FEEDER'S!" exclaimed my mom.

A sharp whistle came from my left and I saw Alberta bringing her fingers out from her lips still calmly sitting in the chair that was in between the couch my mom and Abe were sitting on and the chair Adrian was sprawled in.

"Enough." Alberta said in a calm and even voice. "Both of you need to sit down and calm down. Janine, this book is in the past so there is nothing you can do about it so yelling at Rose isn't going to help."

I smirked at my mom.

"And Rose…" The smirk fell from my face. "You need to stop yelling at your mom like that. She is your mother and you need to respect that even if you two have your differences."

I opened my mouth to yell at Alberta. _How dare she say I respect my absent mother? _But before I got a sound out Dimitri leaned up and whispered…

"Listen to her, Roza."

I felt myself calm instantly and I went to sit back down less annoyed with my mother and Alberta. Now I was annoyed with myself. _How could Dimitri still have that kind of power over me! HE moved on with TASHA, obviously I was having a harder time. _I picked up the book, found my spot and continued as my mom sat back down.

**I asked,** **studying her face. Her fair skin was paler than usual. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and there was an air of frailty about her. School had been hectic this week, and I couldn't remember the last time I'd given her blood.** "**It's been like…more then two days, hasn't it? Three? Why didn't you say anything?"**

**She shrugged and wouldn't meet my eyes. "You were busy. I didn't want to-"**

"**Screw that," I said, shifting into a better position. No wonder she seemed so weak. Oscar, not wanting me any closer, leapt down and returned to the window, where he could watch at a safe distance.** "**Come on. Let's do this."**

"**Rose-"**

"At least someone was hesitant," growled my mother. I opened my mouth to yell at her again but I saw Dimitri shake his head from beside me and I felt Lissa sending calming thoughts through the bond so I decided to ignore her.

"**Come **_**on**_**. It'll make you feel better."**

**I tilted my head and tossed my hair back, baring my neck. I saw her hesitate** **but the sight of my neck and what it offered proved too powerful.** **A hungry expression crossed her face, and her lips parted slightly, exposing the fangs she normally kept hidden while living among humans.** **Those fangs contrasted oddly with the rest of her features. With her pretty face and pale blond hair, she looked more like an angel than a vampire.**

"It's true," stated Christian as he leaned over and gave Lissa a kiss.

I gagged a little at their ridiculousness and got a sharp elbow to the ribs from Lissa and a glare from Christian.

**As her teeth neared my bare skin, I felt my heart face with a mix of fear and anticipation. **

"Addicted." I heard my mom grumble under her breath but chose to ignore it yet again. Partly because I wanted to avoid another fight with her, but also there was a small part of me, the rational part that knew it was true.

**I always hated feeling the latter, but it was nothing I could help, a weakness I couldn't shake.**

**Her fangs bit into me, hard,** **and I cried out at the brief flare of pain.** **Then it faded, replaced by a wonderful, golden joy that spread through my body it was better than any of the time I'd been drunk or high.**

I felt the looks of disapproval from all of the adults in the room but I decided not to look up. I wasn't that girl anymore despite what I did last night. Partying wasn't my main concern anymore, no matter what my mom thought. Now I was only concerned with protecting Lissa. _And getting into bed with Dimitri._

**Better than sex–** **or so I imagined, since I'd never done it.**

"Wait, what? You were a virgin when you came back?" exclaimed Mason with his mouth hanging open.

I looked around and everyone but Lissa looked shocked at this news. It kind of hurt to know that everyone thought that all the rumors were true. I decided to put Mason in his place and hopefully redeem myself in some people's eyes. _You just want Dimitri to know. _Damn, this inner voice.

"I'm still a virgin," I said in as calm as a voice as I could muster. "And I plan to stay that way for a while."

Mason closed his mouth and looked sour. I knew he was remembering last night when he told me that he would have sex with me if I still wanted him when I was sober. _Not going to happen now._

**It was a blanket of pure, refined pleasure, wrapping me up and promising everything would be right in the world.** **On and on it went. The chemicals in her saliva triggered and endorphin rush, and I lost track of the world, lost track of who I was.**

Again I heard a grumble from my mother and as I looked up to glare at her I also so a weird look on Abe's face. It was almost like he was disappointed and proud at the same time; a weird combination. _What's that about?_

**Then, regretfully,** **it was over. It has taken** **less than a minute.**

"Good," said the man named Abe.

**She pulled back, wiping her hand across her lips as she studied me. "You okay?"**

"**I…yeah." I lay back on the bed, dizzy from the blood loss.** "**I just need to sleep it off. I'm fine."**

**Her pale, jade-green eyes watched me with concern.** **She stood up. "I'm going to get you something to eat."**

"You know Little Dhampir…" I looked over at Adrian preparing to growl at him for a blatant sexual innuendo. "…Only a great guardian would do something that thought to be morally wrong in order to protect their charge." He finished and I saw a look of respect on his face.

"Thanks," I said shocked as I saw Alberta, Dimitri, Mason, Christian and Lissa nodding their heads. It appeared that my mother was the only one that disagreed with this. _Maybe because she worries I'll become a blood whore. _I hate the rational voice in my head.

"_You really are the best. Thanks Rose." _I felt Lissa send me over the bond. I just nodded and went back to the book.

**My protests came awkwardly to my lips, and she left before I could get out a sentence. The buzz from her bite had lessened as soon as she broke the connection,** **but some of it still lingered in my veins. Turning my head, I glanced up at Oscar, still sitting in the window.**

"**You don't know what you're missing," I told him.**

"You know the cat can't talk back right, Hathaway?" chuckled Mason trying to get back in my good graces. It wasn't working.

**His attention was on something outside.** **Hunkering down into a crouch, he puffed out his jet-black fur. His tail started twitching.**

**My smile faded, and I forced myself to sit up.**

"You really should have just kept laying down," said Alberta in her calm voice.

"And made it easy for you guys to catch us? No, I had to at least try."

"Not much of a try," mumbled Dimitri.

I shot a nasty look at him even though I know it was a pathetic attempt. Or it was at least pathetic compared to what I could do now.

**The world spun,** **and I wanted for it to right itself before trying to stand. When I managed it, the dizziness set it again and this time refused to leave. Still, I felt okay enough to stumble to the window** **and peer out with Oscar. He eyed me** **warily, scooted over a little, and then returned to whatever had held his attention.**

**A warm breeze–unseasonably warm for a Portland fall–played with my** **hair as I leaned out. The street was dark and relatively quiet. It was three in the morning, just about the only time a college campus settled down, at least somewhat. The house in which we'd rented a room for the past eight months**

"You lived in the same place for eight months and they never caught you before?" asked Abe.

I just shook my head and heard him grumble "She is definitely my…" I couldn't hear the rest of his words but I was confused. _I was his what?_

…**sat on a residential street with old, mismatched houses. Across the road, a streetlight flickered, nearly ready to burn out.** **It still cast enough light for me to make out** **the shapes of cars and buildings. In our own yard, I could see the silhouettes of trees and bushes.**

**And a man watching me.**

"Creeper," exclaimed Adrian

**I jerked back in surprise. A figure stood by a tree in the yard, about thirty feet away, where he could easily see through the window.** **He was close enough that I probably could've thrown something and hit him.** **He was certainly close enough that he could've seen what Lissa and I had just done.**

I saw Dimitri nod.

**The shadows covered him so well that even with my heightened sight, I couldn't make out** **any of his features, save for his height. He was tall. Really tall.** **He stood there for just a moment, barely discernible,** **and then stepped back, disappearing into the shadows cast by the trees on the far side of the yard. I was pretty** **sure I saw someone else move nearby and join him before the blackness swallowed both of them.**

**Whoever these figure were, Oscar didn't like them. Not counting me, he usually got along with most people, growing upset only when someone posed an immediate danger.** **The guy outside hadn't done anything threatening to Oscar, but the cat had sensed something, something that put him on edge.**

**Something similar to what he always sensed in me.**

**Icy fear raced through me, almost–but not quite–eradicating** **the lovely bliss of Lissa's bite.** **Backing up from the window, I jerked on a pair of jeans** **that I found on the floor, nearly falling over in the process.** **Once they were on, I grabbed my coat and Lissa's,** **along with our wallets. Shoving my feet into the first shoes I saw,** **I headed out the door.**

"Shouldn't you have grabbed shoes for Lissa?" asked Christian

I just shrugged. "Yeah probably, but there is nothing I can do about it now."

**Downstairs, I found her in the cramped kitchen, rummaging** **through the refrigerator. One of our housemates, Jeremy, sat at the table; hand on his forehead as he stared sadly at a calculus book.** **Lissa regarded me with surprise.**

"**You shouldn't be up."**

"You really shouldn't have," said Dimitri as he looked at me "I surprised you didn't pass out."

"**We have to go. Now."**

**Her eyes widened, and then a moment later, understanding clicked in. "Are you…really? Are you sure?"**

**I nodded. I couldn't explain how I knew for sure. I just did.**

**Jeremy watched us curiously. "What's wrong?"**

**An idea came to mind. "Liss, get his car keys."**

**He looked back and forth between us. "What are you-"**

**Lissa unhesitatingly walked over to him. Her fear poured into me through our psychic bond, but there was something else too:**

"So they do have a bond," stated Abe.

My mother just huffed, but looked a me a little more closely as if I could give her the secrets to forming a bond, which I could but I wouldn't recommend Lissa and I's way.

…**her complete faith that I would take care of everything, that we would be safe. Like always, I hoped I was worthy of that kind of trust.**

"_Of course you are." _I could feel Lissa's complete trust in me come through the bond just as I heard her words in my head. I smile at her, just a little smile, but I know that at that time if a Strigoi had come after us then we would have died.

**She smiled broadly and gazed directly into his eyes. For a moment, Jeremy just stared, still confused,** **and then I saw the thrall seize him. His eyes glazed over, and he regarded her adoringly.**

"Compulsion?" asked Abe at the same time my mother and Alberta sent a "I-Am-Completely-Disappointed-In-You" glare towards Lissa.

Lissa just nodded at Abe but shrunk away from the glares she was receiving. From the bond, I knew she was feeling ashamed and like a 10 year old child again as she remembered her mom giving her a look but like the one she was getting from my mom and Alberta.

_How come she doesn't get yelled at! _I could feel the anger from early coming back to me at the unfairness of the difference between how Lissa and I were treated but I pushed it back because it was ridiculous to be jealous of my best friend because she wasn't getting yelled at.

"**We need to borrow your car," she said in a gentle voice. "Where are your keys?"**

**He smiled, and I shivered. I had a high resistance to compulsion, but I could still feel its effects when it was directed at another person. That, and I'd been taught my entire life that using it was wrong.** **Reaching into his pocket, Jeremy handed over a set of keys hanging on a large red key chain.**

"**Thank you,"** **said Lissa. "And where is it parked?"**

"**Down the street," he said dreamily. "At the corner. By Brown." Four blocks away.**

"**Thank you," she repeated, backing up. "As soon as we leave, I want you to go back to studying. Forget you ever saw us tonight."**

**He nodded obligingly.**

**I got the impression he would have walked off a cliff for her right there if she'd asked. All humans were susceptible to compulsion, but Jeremy appeared weaker than most.** **That came in handy right now.**

"**Come on," I told her. "We've got to move."**

"Actually, you should probably be sitting down. Considering that Lissa just took blood from you," uttered Mason.

**We stepped outside, heading toward the corner he'd named. I was still dizzy from the bite and kept stumbling, unable to move as quickly as I wanted. Lissa had to catch hold of me a couple of times to stop me from falling. All the time, that anxiety rushed into me from her mind. I tried my best to ignore it; I had my own fears to deal with.**

"**Rose…what are we going to do if they catch us?" she whispered.**

"**They won't," I said fiercely. "I won't let them."**

"**But if they've found us-"**

"**They found us before.** **They didn't catch us then.**"

"You escaped from them before?" asked Abe in a surprised voice.

"No," answered Alberta, "But I'm sure what actually happened will be in the book"

"**We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail."**

**I made it sound simple.** **I always did, even though there was nothing simple about being on the run from the people we'd grown up with.** **We'd been doing it for two years,** **hiding wherever we could and just trying to finish high school. **

"Wait, so you ran away to another school?" questioned Adrian. "Why would you do something like that?"

"We thought it was important to at least get a high school diploma" answered Lissa.

Adrian looked at us both as if we were crazy and surprisingly so did Mason.

**Our senior year had just started, and living on a college campus had seemed safe. We were so close to freedom.**

**She said nothing more, and I felt her faith in me surge up once more. This was the way it had always been between us. I was the one who took action, who made sure things happened–sometimes recklessly so.** **She was the more responsible one, the one who thought things out and researched them extensively before acting.** **Both styles had their uses, but at the moment, recklessness was called for. We didn't have time to hesitate.**

**Lissa and I had been best friends ever since kindergarten, when our teacher had paired us together for writing lessons.** **Forcing five-year-olds to spell **_**Vasilisa Dragomir**_** and **_**Rosemarie Hathaway **_**was beyond cruel, and we'd–or rather **_**I'd**_**–responded appropriately. I'd chucked my book at our teacher and called her a fascist bastard.** **I hadn't known what those words meant, but I'd known how to hit a moving target.**

Most of the room chuckled, except of course my mom, Alberta and Dimitri. Although, I could see a faint smile on Alberta and Dimitri's faces.

"You definitely have spunk, I'll give you that," stated Abe.

**Lissa and I had been inseparable ever since.**

"**Do you hear that?" she asked suddenly.**

**It took me a few seconds to pick up on what her sharper senses already had. Footsteps, moving fast. I grimaced. We had two more blacks to go.**

"**We've got to run for it," I said, catching hold of her arm.**

"**But you can't-"**

"_**Run**_**."**

**It took every ounce of my willpower not to pass out on the sidewalk.** **My body didn't want to run after losing blood or while still metabolizing the effects of her saliva. But I ordered my muscles to stop their bitching** **and clung to Lissa as our feet pounded against the concrete. Normally, I could have outrun her without any effort–particularly since she was barefoot–** **but tonight, she was all that held me upright.**

**The pursuing footsteps grew louder, closer. Black starts danced before my eyes. Ahead of us, I could make out Jeremy's green Honda. Oh God, if we could just make it–**

**Ten feet from the car, a man stepped directly into our path.** **We can to a screeching halt, and I jerked Lissa back by her arm. It was **_**him**_**, the guy I'd seen across the street watching me.** **He was older than us, maybe mid-twenties, as tall as I'd figured, probably six-six or six-seven.**

"Six-seven," confirmed Dimitri.

**And under different circumstances–say, when he wasn't holding up our desperate escape–I would have thought he was hot.**

I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. I really hope that my thoughts of how god-like Dimitri is are kept to a minimum in this book. I don't want him to know how much I love…like him. Especially if he is just going to leave with Tasha. Besides I don't want anyone else to know.

**Shoulder-length brown hair, tied back in a short ponytail. Dark brown eyes. A long brown coat–a duster, I thought it was called.**

**But his hotness was irrelevant now.** **He was only an obstacle keeping Lissa and me away from the car and our freedom. The footsteps behind us slowed, and I knew our pursuers had caught up.** **Off to the sides, I detected more movement, more people closing in. God. They'd sent almost a dozen guardians to retrieve us. I couldn't believe it. The queen herself didn't travel with that many.**

"Yes, but the queen never escaped from the Academy and stayed hidden for two years," replied Dimitri as Alberta nodded in agreement.

**Panicked and not entirely in control of my higher reasoning,** **I acted out of instinct.** **I pressed up to Lissa, keeping her behind me and away from the man who appeared to be the leader.**

"**Leaver her alone," I growled. "Don't touch her."**

**His face was unreadable, but he held out his hands in what was supposed to be some sort of calming gesture, like I was a rabid animal he was planning to sedate.**

"**I'm not going to-"**

**He took a step forward. Too close.**

**I attacked him,** **leaping out in an offensive maneuver I hadn't used in two years, not since Lissa and I had run away. **

"Stupid." Surprisingly enough that degrading remark didn't come from my mother but from Christian. I glared at him and he glared back. "You know it was stupid, Rose."

"Bad form," agreed Mason.

I rolled my eyes but went back to reading because yes I knew it was stupid.

**The move was** **stupid,** **another reaction born of instinct and fear. And it was hopeless. He was a skilled guardian, not a novice who hadn't finished his training. He also wasn't weak and on the verge of passing out.**

**And man, was he fast. I'd forgotten how fast guardians could be,** **how they could move and strike like cobras.** **He knocked me off as though brushing away a fly, and his hands slammed into me and sent me backwards. I didn't think he meant to strike that hard–probably just intended to keep me away–** **but my lack to coordination interfered with my ability to respond. Unable to catch my footing, I started to fall, heading straight toward the sidewalk at a twisted angle, hip-first. It was going to hurt. A **_**lot**_**.**

**Only it didn't.**

**Just as quickly as he'd blocked me, the man reached out and caught my arm, keeping me upright. **

"Thanks for that, Dimitri." I said as I looked to my left at him.

"Guardian Belikov," my mother interjected.

"Guardian Belikov," I parroted back even as I rolled my eyes.

"You're welcome, Rose" said Dimitri

**When I'd steadied myself, I noticed he was staring at me–or, more precisely, at my neck. Still disoriented, I didn't get it right away.** **Then, slowly, my free hand reached up to the side of my throat and lightly touched the wound Lissa had made earlier. When I pulled my fingers back, I saw slick, dark blood on my skin. Embarrassed,** **I shook my hair so that It fell forward around my face. My hair was thick and long and completely covered my neck. I'd grown it out for precisely this reason.**

"At least you did something right," stated my mother in her annoying accent.

I just growled and continued even though the anger was pressing on every thought I had. I saw Adrian eye me worriedly.

**The guy's dark eyes lingered on the now covered bite a moment longer and then met mine. I returned his look defiantly and quickly jerked out of his hold. He let me go, though I knew he could have restrained me all night if he'd wanted.** **Fighting the nauseating dizziness, I back toward Lissa again, bracing myself for another attack. Suddenly, her hand caught hold on mine, "Rose," she said quietly. "Don't."**

**Her words had no effect on me at first, but calming thoughts gradually began to settle in my mind, coming across the bond.**

"Impressive," I heard Abe say.

**It wasn't exactly compulsion–she wouldn't use that on me–** **but it was effectual, as was the fact that we were hopelessly outnumbered and outclassed. Even I knew struggling would be pointless.** **The tension left my body, and I sagged in defeat.**

**Sensing my resignation, the man stepped forward, turning his attention to Lissa. His face was calm. He swept her a bow and managed to look graceful doing it, which surprised me considering his height.** "**My name is Dimitri Belikov," he said. I could hear a faint Russian accent.** "**I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."**

"No shit, I thought you were going to take us for ice-cream," I muttered sarcastically. I got a chuckle out of Mason, Adrian and Christian but everyone else gave me a disapproving look even though the twinkle in Dimitri's eye said he found what I said somewhat amusing.

"Ok Lissa, your turn to read."

I handed the book over to her and she cleared her throat **"Chapter Two"**

**Done! I hope y'all like this. I wasn't completely happy with it but the character's did and said what they wanted to do. I will hopefully be able to introduce that plot I was talking about in the next chapter, but like I said I just write what the character's feel like. **

**Thanks to all my reviewers and sorry this was later than I said. I came down with Strep throat ****.**

**Don't forget to review and tell me what you think!**


	3. Chapter 2

**I am so sorry! I have had this chapter done since two Fridays ago and I planned to update but unfortunately I learned a valuable lesson; It doesn't matter how old you are if your mom says be home at midnight she means midnight and not a minute later. So I have been grounded but anyway here you go.**

"**Chapter Two" **read Lissa

**My hatred notwithstanding,**

Dimitri raised his eyebrow at me and I just shrugged because I remembered the anger I felt towards him and the other guardians that had come to take Lissa and I back to the Academy. Maybe I never hated him, but I really, really didn't like him.

**I had to admit Dimitri Beli-whatever was pretty smart.**

Dimitri smirked

**After they'd carted us off to the airport to and onto the Academy's private jet, he'd taken one look at the two of us whispering and ordered us separated.**

**"Don't let them talk to each other," he warned the guardian who escorted me to the back of the plane. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan."**

"Are you really that dumb, to think that you could escape that many guardians?" asked my mother.

"If escaping meant keeping Lissa safe then yes I would have tried."

She just sighed and looked at me with disappointed eyes. "The Academy is safe. You just don't like rules."

I was irritated that my mom didn't seem to understand that we left to keep Lissa safe and that I was not completely irresponsible. _She doesn't know the whole story though._

**I shot him a haughty look and stormed off down the aisle. Never mind the fact we **_**had**_** been planning escape.**

**As it was, things didn't look good for our heroes—or heroines, rather.**

"I would love to see you in spandex, Little Dhampir." Adrian said as he leered at me. I couldn't help but smirk at that even if I was a little put off by Adrian. _I would look amazing in spandex. _I saw Mason nodding slightly in agreement.

I heard a slight growl come from my left and I turned to see Dimitri glaring at Adrian. I rolled my eyes although I truly didn't understand him. He had no right to dictate who I was with. He was with Tasha now and he had made it very clear with his words and body language that he didn't have the same feelings for me. _Maybe he hasn't actually moved on with Tasha. _Even if he hasn't moved on, he saw me as a child.

**Once we were in the air, our odds of escape dropped further. Even supposing a miracle occurred and I did manage to take out all ten guardians,**

"I doubt you could have taken on one guardian at that time. No offense Rose, but you sucked big time when you came back to the Academy," Mason chuckled.

I wanted to be mad at that remark but it was true, I was in terrible shape when I came back and even now with all of my extra training with Dimitri I doubt I could take on ten guardians at one time. Instead of retorting back I just nudged Lissa with my elbow so she would keep reading.

Everyone sort of seemed surprised that I didn't defend myself.

…**we'd sort of have a problem in getting off the plane. I figured they might have parachutes aboard somewhere, **

"Do you even know how to work a parachute?" questioned Christian.

I opened my mouth to respond but Lissa just continued reading. I felt a bit of annoyance coming from her. She was tired of getting interrupted after very sentence.

…**but in the unlikely event I'd be able to operate one, there was still that little issue of survival, seeing as we'd probably land somewhere in the Rocky Mountains.**

**No, we weren't getting off this plane until it landed in backwoods Montana.** **I'd have to think of something then, something that involved getting past the Academy's magical wards and ten times as many guardians.** **Yeah. No problem.**

"How did you manage to escape the first time?" I looked over at Abe as he spoke. I still wasn't sure if I had a grasp on him yet. I wasn't sure if he was a friend or a foe. My mom seemed to know him though, although she didn't seem to like him. No, that wasn't it she just didn't seem to like when he would talk to me. _Weird. _

"I'm sure you will find out later in the book." I said as I looked at him. I made a note to myself to keep an eye on Abe.

**Although Lissa sat at the front with the Russian guy, her fear sang back to me, pounding inside my head like a hammer. **

"I didn't mean to scare you, princess."

"I wasn't scared of you Dimitri. I just really didn't want to go back to the Academy. And don't call me princess. It's Lissa."

**My concern for her cut into my fury. They couldn't take her back **_**there**_**, not to that place. I wondered if Dimitri might have hesitated if he could feel what I did and if he knew what I knew. **

Dimitri frowned. "I would have been hesitant."

"Not really," I said "You wanted Lissa to be safe and I understand that. But I'm sure you wouldn't have believed me if I told you she was in danger. Admit it, you believed that we ran away because I got in trouble and didn't want to face the consequences just like everyone else did. All you knew about me was what you read in my file, you thought I was a party girl with not a care in the world. You thought I was CHILDISH" I added extra emphasis to that last word to make him understand that I was still angry with him. " Everything I do is for Lissa! I am never not thinking about Lissa's feelings and wondering if I will be able to protect her the way she deserves to be protecting! I have trained day and night so that I can protect her when I graduate, I would die with a smile on my face if it meant that she was safe and EVERYONE STILL THINKS I AM CHILDISH AND IMATURE. "

I saw Dimitri's look of shock as I screamed at him. I was so angry all of a sudden and while I didn't quite understand why I was so angry I relished in it. I was so tired on Dimitri acting like he was high and mighty and in control. I was tired of fighting with him and yet, I just wanted to scream at him and punch him until he admitted that he didn't want Tasha and that I would be enough for him. I did understand his reasons but in this haze of anger I didn't really care. Then as soon as it came, the angry haze vanished and I felt… I wasn't sure what I felt. Anger, embarrassment, heartbroken and even a little childish for the fit I threw. Everything was so confusing.

"Your aura just went completely black, Little Dhampir." said Adrian in a serious tone. I didn't really know what he meant but whatever I knew the white-hot anger I felt had something to do with my black aura.

I sat back down and looked at the ground. I didn't want to see the shocked looked on everyone's faces. "Just read Lissa."

**Probably not. He didn't care.**

Dimitri stiffened and I looked up as he opened his mouth to say something. I could still see a look of shock on his face. I just shook my head at him though. I wasn't in the mood to talk to him right now.

**As it was, her emotions grew so strong that for a moment, I had the disorienting sensation of sitting in her seat - in her **_**skin**_** even. It happened sometimes, and without much warning, she'd pull me right into her head.**

"I hate when that happens." I groaned thinking of all the times I had been pulled in her head when she was with Christian. I was in a better mood now and not quite as angry.

"I'm not a big fan of it either," said Lissa. She wasn't as shocked about my tantrum as everyone else. She was emitting a feeling of understanding. She knew how much I disliked being misjudged even if I tried to hide it and be strong for her.

**Dimitri's tall frame sat beside me, and my hand—**_**her**_** hand—gripped a bottle of water.**

"That must be really weird." commented Mason

I nodded my head because it really was a strange sensation to know that the body you feel preforming actions is not your own.

**He leaned forward to pick up something, revealing six tiny symbols tattooed on the back of his neck: **_**molnija**_** marks. **

Mason smiled and you could tell he was thinking about receiving his own _molnija _marks one day and how big of an honor it would be. While I disagreed with him that we were ready to face Strigoi at this exact moment I did know that one day I would be receiving _molnija _marks myself and I was so ready for that day.

**They looked like two streaks of jagged lightning crossing in an **_**X**_** symbol. One for each Strigoi he'd killed. **

Dimitri, Alberta and my mother all looked at the ground when Lissa read this with sad expressions and the excitement I felt over receiving _molnija _marks diminished. I always assumed that one would be proud when they talked about their marks but the looks I saw coming from these experienced guardians were not one of pride.

_I thought Dimitri was the only one who felt like this. Isn't killing a Strigoi supposed to be an honor?_

**Above them was a twisting line, sort of like a snake, that marked him as a guardian. The promise mark.**

"I can't wait to get my promise mark," I said with a smile think about graduating from the Academy "Then I get to start guarding Lissa for real."

"There is not guarantee you will guard Lissa after graduation." This was the remark, which I had expected from my mother, but instead it was Abe who said it.

I just stared at him and calmly said "I will be Lissa's guardian."

I could feel Lissa's agreement through the bond before she began reading again.

**Blinking, I fought against her and shifted back into my own head with a grimace. I hated when that happened. Feeling Lissa's emotions was one thing, but slipping into her was something we both despised. She saw it as an invasion of privacy, so I usually didn't tell her when it happened.**

Lissa raised an eyebrow at me. "Really when haven't you told me that you have slipped inside my head." I could feel a bit of anger coming from the bond but she seemed to understand that I really didn't have much control over it. _I wonder what she will think when she finds out I did it on purpose._

"It's not often and you are never really doing anything." I lied not wanting her to get mad at me and not wanting to embarrass her by mentioning the intimate times I experienced while she was with Christian.

**Neither of us could control it. It was another effect of the bond, a bond neither of us fully understood. Legends existed about psychic links between guardians and their Moroi, but the stories had never mentioned anything like this. We fumbled through it as best we could.**

**Near the end of the flight, Dimitri walked back to where I sat and traded places with the guardian beside me. I pointedly turned away, staring out the window absentmindedly. **

**Several moments of silence passed. Finally, he said, "Were you really going to attack all of us?"**

**I didn't answer.**

"Silent treatment," remarked Christian "You know Rose is mad when she doesn't talk."

I just reached around Lissa and slapped him on the back of the head, not too hard but hard enough to sting a little. Adrian snorted and Lissa glared at me.

"You just proved my point you know?"

"Don't hit my boyfriend."

**"Doing that . . . protecting her like that—it was very brave."**

"More like stupid." muttered Alberta.

I stared at her in shock. I would have never guessed that Alberta would say something like that. She might think it but I never expected her to say it. She never has before and I've had several talks with her after doing stupid things.

"Thanks Alberta." I grumbled.

**He paused. "**_**Stupid**_**,** **but still brave. Why did you even try it?"**

**I glanced over at him, brushing my hair out of my face so I could look him levelly in the eye. "Because I'm her guardian." I turned back toward the window.**

"No you weren't Little Dhampir, but I applauded you for thinking that. Not many novices have that much dedication." Adrian reached in his pocket and pulled out a flask. He took a big sip and then looked me dead in the eye. "You will be one of the best guardians ever."

I shifted my weight in my chair. Serious Adrian made me uncomfortable because I wasn't used to it nor was I used to anybody really having that much faith in me besides Lissa and Dimitri. _Adrian would be a good friend to have around, if he ever got over this obsession with me. _

**After another quiet moment, he stood up and returned to the front of the jet.**

**When we landed, Lissa and I had no choice but to let the commandos drive us out to the Academy. Our car stopped at the gate, and our driver spoke with guards who verified we weren't Strigoi about to go off on a killing spree. After a minute, they let us pass on through the wards and up to the Academy itself. It was around sunset—the start of the vampiric day—and the campus lay wrapped in shadows.**

**It probably looked the same, sprawling and gothic. The Moroi were big on tradition; nothing ever changed with them. This school wasn't as old as the ones back in Europe, but it had been built in the same style. The buildings boasted elaborate, almost churchlike architecture, with high peaks and stone carvings. Wrought iron gates enclosed small gardens and doorways here and there. After living on a college campus, I had a new appreciation for just how much this place resembled a university more than a typical high school.**

"Descriptive much?" laughed Mason.

**We were on the secondary campus, which was divided into lower and upper schools. Each was built around a large open quadrangle decorated with stone paths and enormous, century-old trees. We were going toward the upper school's quad, which had academic buildings on one side, while dhampir dormitories and the gym sat opposite. Moroi dorms sat on one of the other ends, and opposite them were the administrative buildings that also served the lower school. Younger students lived on the primary campus, farther to the west.**

**Around all the campuses was space, space, and more space. We were in Montana, after all, miles away from any real city. The air felt cool in my lungs and smelled of pine and wet, decaying leaves. Overgrown forests ringed the perimeters of the Academy, and during the day, you could see mountains rising up in the distance.**

**As we walked into the main part of the upper school, I broke from my guardian and ran up to Dimitri.**

**"Hey, Comrade."**

"Rosemarie, that is inappropriate." scolded my mother while Abe tried to hide his smile.

I looked at Dimitri "You don't mind do you, Comrade."

I could see Dimitri trying to hold a disapproving face but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away. _I KNEW HE LIKED WHEN I CALLED HIM THAT. _A smirk appeared on my face and the twinkle in his eye became more pronounced. As I continued to look at him I felt my anger towards him slip away. I knew that he cared for me and while he might think I act childish at times he knew that I had my priorities straight. I gave him a look that I hope said "I'm sorry for being a bitch. Forgive me?"

He nodded and I understood from his look that he wanted to talk to me in private. I sighed in acceptance. We were going to be in this room with one another for a while and we needed to work out at least some of our issues. Besides I was tired of fighting with him.

Adrian cleared his throat and I realized that Dimitri and I had been looking at each other for a while without saying anything. I blushed as I looked around and saw that most of the room was sporting a confused look but two faces held a knowing look; Adrian and Abe. I understood Adrian's look as much as I tried to deny it Adrian was smart enough to at least guess that Dimitri and I had feelings for each other and our non-verbal conversation now probably just confirmed it. But why was Abe looking at me like he knew my secret, he hadn't been around that long.

"Sorry." I said still blushing as I motioned for Lissa to read.

**He kept walking and wouldn't look at me. "You want to talk now?**

**"Are you taking us to Kirova?"**

"Headmistress Kirova" reminded Alberta and my mom.

I snorted.

**"**_**Headmistress**_** Kirova," he corrected.** **On the other side of him, Lissa shot me a look that said, **_**Don't start something**_**.**

**"Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit—"**

"-ch" finished Christian as I remembered that he wasn't very found of the old bat either.

Lissa gave him a look of disapproval as Mason and Adrian chuckled.

Alberta and my mother just sighed but seemed to acknowledge the fact that they couldn't really change our behavior.

**My words faded as the guardians led us through a set of doors—straight into the commons. I sighed. Were these people **_**really**_** so cruel? There had to be at least a dozen ways to get to Kirova's office, and they were taking us right through the center of the commons.**

**And it was breakfast time.**

"Speaking of breakfast, after this chapter can we go raid the kitchen? I'm hungry." I complained.

"You're always hungry, Rose. But I could use some food too." agreed Mason.

Everyone else nodded their approval and Lissa read with an increased pace. Apparently she was hungry too.

**Novice guardians - dhampirs like me - and Moroi sat together, eating and socializing, faces alight with whatever current gossip held the Academy's attention. When we entered, the loud buzz of conversation stopped instantly, like someone had flipped a switch. Hundreds of sets of eyes swiveled toward us.**

**I returned the stares of my former classmates with a lazy grin, trying to get a sense as to whether things had changed. Nope. Didn't seem like it. Camille Conta still looked like the prim, perfectly groomed bitch I remembered, still the self-appointed leader of the Academy's royal Moroi cliques. Off to the side, Lissa's gawky near-cousin Natalie watched with wide eyes, as innocent and naive as before.**

I growled as I felt the betrayal flow from Lissa.

**And on the other side of the room . . . well, that was interesting. Aaron.** **Poor, poor Aaron, who'd no doubt had his heart broken when Lissa left. He still looked as cute as ever—maybe more so now—with those same golden looks that complemented hers so well. His eyes followed her every move. Yes. Definitely not over her. It was sad, really, because Lissa had never really been all that into him.**

Christian looked elated at this piece of information

**I think she'd gone out with him simply because it seemed like the expected thing to do.**

**But what I found most interesting was that Aaron had apparently found a way to pass the time without her. Beside him, holding his hand, was a Moroi girl who looked about eleven but had to be older, unless he'd become a pedophile during our absence. With plump little cheeks and blond ringlets, she looked like a porcelain doll.** **A very pissed off and evil porcelain doll.**

"Why do I get the feeling this girl is going to get punched at least once by Rose," questioned Abe.

"Because you are a smart man" replied Dimitri before I could open my mouth to answer.

"Hey, I tried to be the bigger person," I retorted.

Mason snorted, Christian chuckled and Adrian gave me a disbelieving look as he took another drink from his flask.

"I tired," I reiterated as I glared at them "I just didn't try very hard."

**She gripped his hand tightly and shot Lissa a look of such burning hatred that it stunned me. What the hell was that all about? She was no one I knew. Just a jealous girlfriend, I guessed. I'd be pissed too if my guy was watching someone else like that.**

**Our walk of shame mercifully ended, though our new setting—Headmistress Kirova's office—didn't really improve things. The old hag looked exactly like I remembered, sharp-nosed and gray-haired. She was tall and slim, like most Moroi, and had always reminded me of a vulture.** **I knew her well because I'd spent a lot of time in her office.**

"I'm pretty sure you set a school record for most visits," stated Alberta.

**Most of our escorts left us once Lissa and I were seated, and I felt a little less like a prisoner. Only Alberta, the captain of the school's guardians, and Dimitri stayed. They took up positions along the wall, looking stoic and terrifying, just as their job description required.**

**Kirova fixed her angry eyes on us and opened her mouth to begin what would no doubt be a major bitch session. A deep, gentle voice stopped her.**

**"Vasilisa."**

Christian pulled Lissa closer to him as her memories were brought to the front of her mind and subsequently mine. While I wasn't the biggest fan of Christian I was glad he was here to comfort Lissa and I was wrapped up in my own memories. _I wish someone would comfort me like that._ As soon as I thought that I felt Dimitri scoot his chair closer to me and touch his leg to mine, I felt comforted instantly. I would have preferred to be wrapped in his arms but since that couldn't happen I was at least glad he noticed when I was upset. _We really need to have a talk._

**Startled, I realized there was someone else in the room. I hadn't noticed. Careless for a guardian, even a novice one.**

"Very bad form," nodded Mason.

**With a great deal of effort, Victor Dashkov rose from a corner chair. **_**Prince**_** Victor Dashkov.** **Lissa sprang up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his frail body.**

**"Uncle," she whispered. She sounded on the verge of tears as she tightened her grip.**

**With a small smile, he gently patted her back. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you safe, Vasilisa." He looked toward me. "And you too, Rose."**

"Sure you very, sick bastard." I muttered to myself.

**I nodded back, trying to hide how shocked I was. He'd been sick when we left, but this—this was **_**horrible**_**. He was Natalie's father, only about forty or so, but he looked twice that age. Pale. Withered. Hands shaking. My heart broke watching him. With all the horrible people in the world, it didn't seem fair that this guy should get a disease that was going to kill him young and ultimately keep him from becoming king.**

"He would be a horrible king." I announced as I tired to shake off the horrible memories of Lissa's torture.

**Although not technically her uncle - the Moroi used family terms very loosely, especially the royals - Victor was a close friend of Lissa's family and had gone out of his way to help her after her parents had died. I liked him; he was the first person I was happy to see here.**

_I can't believe I liked him once._

**Kirova let them have a few more moments and then stiffly drew Lissa back to her seat.**

**Time for the lecture.**

**It was a good one—one of Kirova's best, which was saying something. She was a master at them. I swear that was the only reason she'd gone into school administration, because I had yet to see any evidence of her actually **_**liking**_** kids. The rant covered the usual topics: responsibility reckless behavior, self-centeredness . . . **

"It was a really good lecture, I paid attention for all of five minutes as opposed to three." I stated to the room.

**Bleh.** **I immediately found myself spacing out, alternatively pondering the logistics of escaping through the window in her office.**

**But when the tirade shifted to me—well, that was when I tuned back in.**

**"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promise among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; **_**you**_** nearly enabled them to do it."**

I would never regret taking Lissa from the Academy but I was thankful that we were found. It was only a matter of time before a Strigoi would have found us and I was not fit to protect her from them. Not that I was going to admit that to anyone.

**"Rose didn't kidnap me." Lissa spoke before I could, her voice and face calm, despite her uneasy feelings. "I wanted to go. Don't blame her."**

**Ms. Kirova **_**tsk**_**ed at us both and paced the office, hands folded behind her narrow back.**

**"Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it was still **_**her**_** responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out. If she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."**

**I snapped.**

"It's about time." Adrian said.

"I was a little worried that you had been silent for that long while being lectured." admitted Alberta

**"I **_**did**_** do my duty!" I shouted, jumping up from my chair. Dimitri and Alberta both flinched but left me alone since I wasn't trying to hit anyone. **

"Yet." muttered Mason

**Yet. "I did keep her safe! I kept her safe when none of **_**you**_**"—I made a sweeping gesture around the room—"could do it. I took her away to protect her. I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to."**

**Through the bond, I felt Lissa trying to send me calming messages, again urging me not to let anger get the best of me. Too late.**

**Kirova stared at me, her face blank. "Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you aren't telling us?"**

**I bit my lip.**

"Things really would have been easier if you would have told us the truth," stated Alberta.

I disagreed. I didn't trust any of the teachers enough to expose Lissa's secret but I didn't say that to Alberta because despite what my mom thinks I do respect people, once they have earned it and in my eyes Alberta has earned it.

**"I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left—aside from the novelty of it, no doubt—was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your disappearance."**

"I don't care about being punished," I said suddenly wanted the room to understand. "I was just keeping Lissa safe."

I felt the love coming from Lissa and I smiled at her. It was true I would do anything to keep my best friend safe.

"**No, that's not—"**

**"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible."**

"What? How are you still here?" asked Mason.

"If you wouldn't interrupted you would find out." I snapped wanting to be done with this chapter because I was starved.

"Someone is hungry," smiled Mason not taking offense to my attitude.

**My cockiness dried up. "I . . . what?"**

**Lissa stood up beside me. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."**

**"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."**

"**But my parents—"**

**"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. **

"I hated when she said that. No guardian is expendable." admitted Alberta.

"That's just typical Moroi thinking," replied Adrian with a disgusted face "Close-minded and stuck up Moroi thinking."

"Aren't you in that category Ivashkov?" questioned Mason with a sneer.

Adrian's eyes darkened but he didn't try to defend himself. I think he knew that nothing he said to Mason would change Mason's mind. Despite Adrian's cockiness and attitude I knew he wasn't like the others.

**She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."**

**I stared at Kirova, unable to believe what I was hearing. "Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone?**

"Of course I knew you were gone," replied my mother looking straight at me "Despite what you seem to so desperately want to believe I do care."

"You have a funny way of showing it." I replied as I elbowed Lissa to hurry up and read not wanting to get into it with my mother.

**Or maybe you'll send me off to my **_**father**_**?"**

Abe shifted slightly on the couch and looked a tad bit uncomfortable and I couldn't blame him really. The couch he was sitting on didn't look soft.

**Her eyes narrowed at the bite in that last word. When I spoke again, my voice was so cold, I barely recognized it.**

"It was a terrifying voice," confessed Lissa as I saw the replay in my mind.

**"Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."**

"Would you have really run away again?" questioned Alberta.

"Yes." I replied with no hesitation.

Alberta just nodded.

**"Miss Hathaway," she hissed, "you are out of line."**

**"They have a bond." Dimitri's low, accented voice broke the heavy tension, and we all turned toward him. I think Kirova had forgotten he was there, but I hadn't. His presence was way too powerful to ignore.** **He still stood against the wall, looking like some sort of cowboy sentry in that ridiculous long coat of his.**

"It's not ridiculous." Dimitri retorted

**He looked at me, not Lissa, his dark eyes staring straight through me. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?"**

**I at least had the satisfaction of seeing Kirova caught off guard as she glanced between us and Dimitri. "No . . . that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."**

**"It's obvious," he said. "I suspected as soon as I started watching them."**

"That doesn't sound creepy at all." laughed Mason

**Neither Lissa nor I responded, and I averted my eyes from his.**

**"That is a gift," murmured Victor from his corner. "A rare and wonderful thing."**

**"The best guardians always had that bond," added Dimitri.** **"In the stories."**

**Kirova's outrage returned. "Stories that are centuries old," she exclaimed. "Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?"**

**He shrugged. "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential-"**

**"Wild and disrespectful?" I interrupted. "Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?"**

"Not nice, Rose. Not nice at all." Mason said as he shook his head.

**"Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now," said Kirova. "Her **_**sanctioned**_** guardian."**

**"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?"**

"I'm really surprised he agreed to train you. You were being a rude." said Lissa.

**That was pretty mean of me to say—particularly since most Moroi and their guardians were of Russian or Romanian descent—but the comment seemed cleverer at the time than it really was. And it wasn't like I was one to talk. I might have been raised in the U.S., but my parents were foreign-born. My dhampir mother was Scottish—red-haired, with a ridiculous accent—and I'd been told my Moroi dad was Turkish.** **That genetic combination had given me skin the same color as the inside of an almond, along with what I liked to think were semi-exotic desert-princess features:** **big dark eyes and hair so deep brown that it usually looked black. I wouldn't have minded inheriting the red hair, but we take what we get.**

**Kirova threw her hands up in exasperation and turned to him. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and **_**very**_** raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian."**

"Not true," said Abe.

**"So teach her discipline. Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again."**

**"Impossible. She'll still be hopelessly behind her peers."**

**"No, I won't," I argued. No one listened to me.**

"Because we both knew it was true." Dimitri stated.

**"Then give her extra training sessions," he said.**

**They continued on while the rest of us watched the exchange like it was a Ping-Pong game. My pride was still hurt over the ease with which Dimitri had tricked us, but it occurred to me that he might very well keep me here with Lissa. Better to stay at this hellhole than be without her. Through our bond, I could feel her trickle of hope.**

**"Who's going to put in the extra time?" demanded Kirova. "You?"**

**Dimitri's argument came to an abrupt stop. "Well, that's not what I—"**

**Kirova crossed her arms with satisfaction. "Yes. That's what I thought."**

**Clearly at a loss, he frowned. His eyes flicked toward Lissa and me, and I wondered what he saw. Two pathetic girls, looking at him with big, pleading eyes? Or two runaways who'd broken out of a high-security school and swiped half of Lissa's inheritance?**

I looked at Dimitri and he shrugged his shoulders "A little bit of both."

**"Yes," he said finally. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."**

**"And then what?" retorted Kirova angrily. "She goes unpunished?"**

**"Find some other way to punish her," answered Dimitri. "Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl, in particular."**

**His unspoken words made me shudder, reminding me of my earlier statement about "blood whores." Few dhampir girls became guardians anymore.**

**Victor suddenly spoke up from his corner. "I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent."**

I growled at how easily Lissa and I had been played.

**Ms. Kirova stared out her window. It was completely black outside. With the Academy's nocturnal schedule, **_**morning**_** and **_**afternoon**_** were relative terms. That, and they kept the windows tinted to block out excess light.**

**When she turned back around, Lissa met her eyes. "Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."**

"You tried to compulse another Moroi," questioned Abe.

Lissa looked down in shame "I would've done anything to have Rose stay and it's not that hard for me."

Abe just look astounded.

_**Oh, Lissa**_**, I thought. **_**Be careful**_**. Using compulsion on another Moroi was dangerous—particularly in front of witnesses. But Lissa was only using a tiny bit, and we needed all the help we could get. Fortunately, no one seemed to realize what was happening.**

**I don't even know if the compulsion made a difference, but finally, Kirova sighed.**

**"If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She turned to me. "Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line **_**once**_**, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have—before **_**and**_** after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this, and you will be sent . . . away."**

**I gave a harsh laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart?" I nodded toward Lissa. "Afraid we'll run away again?"**

**"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for." Her thin lips tightened into a straight line. "You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."**

**I started to say it wasn't generous at all, but then I caught Dimitri's gaze. It was hard to read. He might have been telling me he believed in me. He might have been telling me I was an idiot to keep fighting with Kirova. I didn't know.**

"The second one." Dimitri admitted before I could look over at him to ask.

**Looking away from him for the second time during the meeting, I stared at the floor, conscious of Lissa beside me and her own encouragement burning in our bond. At long last, I exhaled and glanced back up at the headmistress.**

"**Fine. I accept."**

"That's the end of the chapter." stated Lissa as she closed the book.

I jumped up and ran to the kitchen so I could find something to eat and everyone followed me. The kitchen was stocked with food and everyone decided on pancakes, eggs and bacon for our late breakfast. As Dimitri walked passed me to help set the table he grabbed my hand and whispered "After breakfast can we talk?" I just nodded and went to help get drinks.

This would probably be the best time for Dimitri and I to talk since everyone agreed to take an hour long break after we ate to explore the rooms and maybe get a short nap since most everybody had been up late last night. I knew that Dimitri and I had to talk but I was worried.

"I hope this doesn't turn out to be a screaming match." I whispered to myself.

**Don't forget to review. **


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